Shed your meds Saturday: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Although Saturday, April 27, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, New Canaan residents are reminded that they are able to safely dispose of their unused medications anytime at the New Canaan Police Department.

A dedicated medication drop-box is located in the police department’s lobby, located at 174 South Ave., where residents can confidentially discard of unused medications, such as prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as samples and pet medications.

All contents are periodically incinerated, keeping these medications out of the environment, and just as importantly, preventing their diversion and misuse. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in Connecticut.

Along with the towns of Greenwich, Wilton and Ridgefield, the drop-box initiative was created as a pilot program almost two years ago. It was then adopted into the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s drug control policies and with the help of the state’s Regional Action Councils, has expanded to more than 30 police departments statewide.

Ingrid Gillespie, director of the Lower Fairfield County RAC, credits the success of the program on the collaborative efforts of the various law enforcement, environmental, emergency medical and drug abuse prevention groups involved.

“This regional pilot program provided the data that was needed to be able to implement this program in other interested communities,” Gillespie said.

Sgt. Carol Ogrinc of the New Canaan Police Department reports that there has been steady use of the box by the public, averaging almost 30 pounds of discarded medications every month.

“The medication drop box program has been a huge success,” Ogrinc said. “Since the start of the program in June 2011, we have collected and safely disposed of approximately 550 pounds of medications. We appreciate the community’s cooperation in protecting both the environment and the public from the dangers of drug diversion and abuse.”